RESEARCH ARTICLE Source apportionment of particulate matter in a large city of southeastern Po Valley (Bologna, Italy) L. Tositti & E. Brattich & M. Masiol & D. Baldacci & D. Ceccato & S. Parmeggiani & M. Stracquadanio & S. Zappoli Received: 22 January 2013 / Accepted: 5 June 2013 # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013 Abstract This study reports the results of an experimental research project carried out in Bologna, a midsize town in central Po valley, with the aim at characterizing local aerosol chemistry and tracking the main source emissions of air- borne particulate matter. Chemical speciation based upon ions, trace elements, and carbonaceous matter is discussed on the basis of seasonal variation and enrichment factors. For the first time, source apportionment was achieved at this location using two widely used receptor models (principal component analysis/multi-linear regression analysis (PCA/ MLRA) and positive matrix factorization (PMF)). Four main aerosol sources were identified by PCA/MLRA and interpreted as: resuspended particulate and a pseudo-marine factor (winter street management), both related to the coarse fraction, plus mixed combustions and secondary aerosol largely associated to traffic and long-lived species typical of the fine fraction. The PMF model resolved six main aerosol sources, interpreted as: mineral dust, road dust, traf- fic, secondary aerosol, biomass burning and again a pseudo- marine factor. Source apportionment results from both models are in good agreement providing a 30 and a 33 % by weight respectively for PCA-MLRA and PMF for the coarse fraction and 70 % (PCA-MLRA) and 67 % (PMF) for the fine fraction. The episodic influence of Saharan dust Responsible editor: Gerhard Lammel Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11356-013-1911-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. L. Tositti : E. Brattich (*) : D. Baldacci : S. Parmeggiani Dipartimento di Chimica “G. Ciamician”, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy e-mail: erika.brattich@unibo.it L. Tositti e-mail: laura.tositti@unibo.it D. Baldacci e-mail: daniela.baldacci@unibo.it S. Parmeggiani e-mail: silvia.parmeggiani@unibo.it E. Brattich Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali– Sezione di Geologia, Sede di Mineralogia, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Piazza di Porta San Donato, 1, 40126 Bologna, Italy M. Masiol DAIS - Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica, Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, Dorsoduro 2137, 30123 Venice, Italy e-mail: masiol@unive.it D. Ceccato LNL-INFN, Viale dell’Università 2, 35020 Legnaro, Italy e-mail: daniele.ceccato@lnl.infn.it D. Ceccato Dipartimento di Fisica “G. Galilei”, Università di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35100 Padova, Italy M. Stracquadanio ENEA, Via Martiri di Monte Sole 4, 40129, Bologna (BO), Italy S. Zappoli Dipartimento di Chimica Industriale “T. Montanari”, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 4, 40136 Bologna, Italy e-mail: sergio.zappoli@unibo.it Environ Sci Pollut Res DOI 10.1007/s11356-013-1911-7